Kay Gough

Kay Gough, a beloved mother, grandmother, educator, and community leader, passed away on June 23, 2025, at the age of 73.
Born Karen Jean Hill in Lauderdale, Mississippi, Kay grew up in a small farming community where most people stayed put. She didn't. When she and her husband Ed left in 1973, they began what would become a lifelong journey of courageously embracing new opportunities and finding ways to contribute wherever life took them.
"Bloom where you're planted" was an aphorism she lived by.
Kay's remarkable career spanned broadcasting, business, and education. Her early corporate roles ranged from Mississippi Power to McDonald's leadership, as well as a successful on-air personality at WTOK TV in Meridian, Mississippi. Her natural teaching ability emerged when she began teaching night classes at Bellevue College, eventually rising to the position of department dean and then Vice President of Development. By the end of her tenure, she was overseeing the largest university-level business program in Washington State, shaping the futures of countless students with her expertise in business and marketing.
An accomplished Master Gardener in both Washington and Mississippi, Kay created gardens beautiful enough to be published and impressive enough to draw admirers from throughout the community. When she left Washington and moved to Oahu, she spent time volunteering at the local arboretum. Despite her expertise, she remained a perpetual student, calling extension offices with questions even in her final days, always eager to learn more.
When Hurricane Katrina devastated Bay Saint Louis in 2005, Kay's response demonstrated her determination to be a part of her community in meaningful ways. She left her job and joined the reconstruction effort. While serving on the governor's reconstruction task force, Kay recognized that if the community was going to return, it needed destinations and reasons to gather. She founded Bay Books, one of the first businesses to reopen on Main Street after the storm, creating a hub for author signings, arts walks, and community events. Kay was named Hancock County Outstanding Citizen for her efforts, and the bookstore remains a vital part of downtown Bay Saint Louis today.
Kay's adventurous spirit took her across four continents with Ed and their sons Edward and John. From exploring the American West to venturing through Europe, Russia, Japan, and even north of the Arctic Circle, she treasured her journeys not just for the destinations but also for the shared discoveries with her family. She lived in Italy on two different occasions. Her ability to adapt and thrive anywhere was legendary-whether mastering authentic Italian cooking during their time abroad or earning the title of honorary Navy wife simply by making herself indispensable to her community. In her final years, she and Ed took to the road, traveling across the US on numerous road trips. They explored prehistoric monuments, travelled America's back roads, and spent hours in happy conversation.
Above all, Kay devoted herself to her family. Even during the busiest seasons of her demanding career, she made a point to be home for dinner every night, where conversations would happen around the table. She was a natural storyteller who wove family history into daily life and delighted in memorable moments and funny sayings from her family's lives. When grandchildren arrived, her joy multiplied. She carried their photos, wore buttons with their pictures, and would happily corner anyone willing to watch recordings of their choir performances.
Those who knew Kay remember her quiet confidence, wry humor, and elegant presence. She had little patience for complaints without solutions and approached every challenge with common sense. Deeply grateful for what she called her "enormous good fortune," she believed the best response was to use it well-and she did.
Kay Gough proved that with courage, determination, and genuine engagement, you can bloom wherever you're planted. From small-town Mississippi to Italian markets, from television studios to hurricane-damaged coastlines, she found ways to excel and contribute. She leaves behind thriving gardens, a bookstore that anchors a community, educational programs that continue to shape lives, and a family who carries forward her legacy of purposeful living. She demonstrated that the courage to seize every opportunity can yield incredible results. She is forever in our hearts.
Kay is survived by her husband, Ed Gough; her son, John Gough (Ceri); her brother, Mike Hill; and her grandchildren, Monson, Finn, Nixon, Indie Mae, Leo, and Briggs. She was preceded in death by her son, Edward Gough, and her parents, Vivian Hill and Carey Hill.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests sharing memorial contributions with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
A celebration of Kay's life is planned for a later date, and those arrangements will be shared on this page.